CHH Unveils Organ Donor Memorial and Receives Recognition

(left to right) Kentucky/West Virginia Organ Donor Affiliates Director of Client Services Tom Threlkeld joins Cabell Huntington Hospital employee and donor family representative Lydia Bryan; Joy Pelfrey, RN, MSN, FNP, NEA-BC, VP of Nursing Services & Chief Nursing Officer and Dr. Hoyt Burdick, MD, VP & Chief Medical Officer at Thursday’s memorial dedication event. The memorial bench was dedicated to honor organ donors from Cabell Huntington Hospital. The weeping cherry tree planted nearby was donated by Paula Holley and family in memory of her late husband, Terry Holley. As the director of Pastoral Care at Cabell Huntington Hospital, Terry was actively involved in the KODA program at CHH and was helping to plan the dedication ceremony at the time of his death last month.

A granite memorial bench now in place just outside Cabell Huntington Hospital’s entrance will serve as a reminder for passers-by that organ donation is a life-saving act that leaves a lasting and selfless memory of the donor. At a Thursday morning dedication ceremony, Kentucky/West Virginia Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) presented the bench in memory of the organ donors who were patients at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Many lives continue because of vital organs donated.

“There are more than 120,000 people in the United States waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and we know that the decision of just one donor family can save as many as eight lives,” said Teresa Sexton RN, MSNeD, director of Senior Services & Nursing at Cabell Huntington Hospital. “In partnership with KODA, we are dedicating this memorial bench on the campus of Cabell Huntington Hospital to honor those families and recognize individuals for choosing to give life. Cabell Huntington Hospital is proud to once again be recognized as one of KODA’s top donating hospitals, and we are honored to be part of the life-saving work they do and look forward to working closely in the future.”

The ceremony included a hospital employee who shared her story of her 3-year-old nephew who was an organ donor and helped save the lives of six individuals.

"This donor memorial shows Cabell Huntington Hospital's longstanding commitment to saving lives through organ donation," said Teresa Burns, hospital development coordinator with KODA. "Donor families can see this lovely bench and know that it is a memorial for the generous gift of life that took place when their loved one was an organ donor."

The dedication event was also a time to recognize Cabell Huntington Hospital and its staff members, who consistently support the families of organ donors by providing education and resources along with KODA. Burns and Tom Threlkeld, Director of Client Services for KODA, presented the hospital with the following honors:

• The West Virginia Governor’s Award for 2013 Outstanding Performance in Organ Donation

• The HRSA Workplace for Life Award for promotion of donation activities and education in the hospital and the community

Cabell Huntington Hospital consistently ranks among the state’s top hospitals for providing education and family support about organ donation. Learn more about organ donation at Donate Life, America!